Forks? Where to Go
Gibbo3771
Posts: 145
So I have had my Carerra Vengeance for 3 years now, I take it up the Pentland hills quite often and until recently I have been getting the itch to well, make it better.
I like the frame, the over all look at of the bike. The Cassette, Cranks + Chainset and Chain have been replaced by better models than what came with it over the 3 years, about £150 spent on that stuff. My first ones got all wore down after 4-5 month.
Just a few days ago I got rid of the mechanical disc brakes and got a set of Avid Hydraulic ones on it, the braking power is so much better and I feel much more confident descending down dodgy bits.
So now I want better forks, unfortunately I don't know which ones....
The bike shop I go to swore by the Dart 3's, as long as they are aftermarket and not the OEM ones that actually come with a bike, so far all the reviews that are bad are people that have bought Kona bikes with them prefit, the good reviews are from people who have bought aftermarket ones and fitted them.
So for £100, are those my best upgrade from the Suntour XCM ones I have the now, the guy in the shop said I would be able to feel a pretty big difference and so far he has not led me wrong but still, nice to check.
I have £100 to spend, £150 at a push. If I have to save up more, I will. Baring in mind I don't do mega heavy downhill stuff, I know my route and enjoy it, just making it easier so I can tackle it faster and harsher.
I like the frame, the over all look at of the bike. The Cassette, Cranks + Chainset and Chain have been replaced by better models than what came with it over the 3 years, about £150 spent on that stuff. My first ones got all wore down after 4-5 month.
Just a few days ago I got rid of the mechanical disc brakes and got a set of Avid Hydraulic ones on it, the braking power is so much better and I feel much more confident descending down dodgy bits.
So now I want better forks, unfortunately I don't know which ones....
The bike shop I go to swore by the Dart 3's, as long as they are aftermarket and not the OEM ones that actually come with a bike, so far all the reviews that are bad are people that have bought Kona bikes with them prefit, the good reviews are from people who have bought aftermarket ones and fitted them.
So for £100, are those my best upgrade from the Suntour XCM ones I have the now, the guy in the shop said I would be able to feel a pretty big difference and so far he has not led me wrong but still, nice to check.
I have £100 to spend, £150 at a push. If I have to save up more, I will. Baring in mind I don't do mega heavy downhill stuff, I know my route and enjoy it, just making it easier so I can tackle it faster and harsher.
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Comments
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Merlin and On One have deals on Rockshox forks just now. The Dart 3 might be a hair better than your suntour, but not in any meaningful way. You should be looking at an XC32 or Recon in your budget for a significant improvement.0
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Didn't think Darts would be so marginal, shame really.
So either:
http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/f ... -2013.html
Or
http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/f ... -2013.html
What do I gain for spending the extra £25?0 -
A decent damper is a must......something the darts lack, some have no damper I believe, some have a basic cartridge one.
Have you considered buying used?Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0 -
As both your links are OOS, Recon Silver Solo Air, £110, job done. Bargain.
http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FORSRECSITK ... o_air_forkI don't do smileys.
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
London Calling on Facebook
Parktools0 -
As has been said - any recon fork, gold or silver, preferably air!0
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cooldad wrote:As both your links are OOS, Recon Silver Solo Air, £110, job done. Bargain.
http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/FORSRECSITK ... o_air_fork
Quick question, would those forks fit my 2005 Gary Fisher Marlin? According to BikePedia my bike has a 1 1/8 thread less AHeadset. http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/Bike ... del=Marlin
Cheers,0 -
YesI don't do smileys.
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
London Calling on Facebook
Parktools0 -
Cheers.0
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Thought I would reply and let everyone know my choice, I went with the RoxShox Recon Silver in white. I was contemplating just going with Reba and saving up but the price seemed a bit more than I was willing to shell out, especially since this is my first aftermarket fork.
Cheers for the advice.0
